Ink fountain with ink recirculation means



Sept. 14, 1965 P. HEIMLICHER INK FOUNTAIN WITH INK RECIRGULATION MEANS Filed Dec. 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR PHUL HEIMLICHER WWW! M Mmwn Sept. 14, 1965 P. HEIMLICHER 3,205,816

INK FOUNTAIN WITH INK RECIRCULATION MEANS Filed Dec. 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR PAUL HEIMLHHER 1: MMMM United States Patent 0 3,205,816 INK FOUNTAIN WITH INK RECIRCULATION MEANS Paul Heimlicher, Sonnhalde, Bolligen, Switzerland, as-

signor to Maschinenfabrik Winkler, Fallert 8: Co. AG., Bern, Switzerland Filed Dec. '10, 1963, Scr. No. 329,438 Claims priority, application Sweden, Dec. 11, 1962, 13,359/62 1 Claim. (Cl. 101-366) This invention relates in general to inking mechanism and to a method of operating such mechanism, and in particular to a new and useful inking device having a ductor or roller arranged to rotate above an ink supply reservoir with an ink knife in contact with the ductor for removing surplus ink from the surface thereof before it contacts a transfer roller, and to means for directing a supply of ink in a stream over the surface of the ductor directly beneath the ink knife, and to a method of operating such mechanism.

Inking mechanisms are generally classified in respect to Whether the inking blade lies above or below the ink supply. This invention particularly relates to a construction in which the inking blade lies above the ink supply and in which the inking blade functions to wipe off the ink conveyed upward by the ink duct-or. Ordinarily, the inking of the ductor or reservoir rollers occurs by immersion of the roller in an ink supply reservoir.

With devices of this type it is ditficult to maintain the ink at a proper purity condition during the printing operation. Paper dust and paper fragments conveyed by the inking rollers, in addition to other impurities, become mixed with the fresh ink. The mixture of the ink with the impurities is conveyed by the ductor under the inking blade, and this often causes an obstruction in the relatively narrow gap between the blade and the ductor.

Prior to the present invention there has been considerable eifort made to keep the dirt out of the ink. In some arrangements a scraping knife is provided in addition to the inking knife which is directed against the direction of rotation of the ductor to scrape the ink which remains on the ductor after contacting the inking rollers, so that the ductor is cleaned before it is dipped into the ink supply. With such construction the contact surface of the scraping knife, which is continuously applied against the ductor, becomes fouled and within a short time the functioning thereof becomes impaired.

In some instances the inking device is constructed with a scraping knife directly under the inking blade. The ink supply is then arranged above the scraping knife and the ductor is inked in a manner similar to the mechanism where the inking blade lies below the ink supply, but with the difference that the direction of rotation is reversed and the inking blade arranged thereabove serves for the regulation of the inking controlled by the zone screws. In this construction the danger exists that the contact surface between the scraper and the ductor will become fouled.

A still further device which is known includes a reservoir holding an ink supply of great volume and in which a slowly rotating ductor does not agitate the ink. The ink adhered to the ductor prevents the access of fresh ink so that the latter flows ofi' rearwardly practically unused without completing its function of maintaining the ductor in a clean condition. A further disadvantage is that such a construction requires a scraper which in the course of time may wear and may cause destruction of itself or the ductor roller. This is especially true if the inking mechanism rotates whenin an empty condition and without ink which serves as a lubricant.

325,816 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and includes a construction in which a stream of ink is directed over the ductor blade immediately below the inking knife. The ink stream is admitted in a manner to cause it to extend over the entire length of the ductor, and it is directed to flow in a stream counter to the direction of rotation of the ductor back to the reservoir. With a construction of this nature the ink stream directed over the surface of the ductor cleans the ductor surface, and the ink, together with the dirt, drifts back into the reservoir. A smaller portion of the ink which has not come into contact with any dirt will flow through the gap between the ductor and the inking blade without causing any obstruction.

A further feature of the invention is a reservoir construction in which the ink which is directed off the ductor drifts through a sieve or filter screen into a chamber in which there is provided a continuously rotating feeding screw. The feeding screw insures that the relatively viscous and coarsely filtered ink which drops downwardly through the filter screen or sieve is directed to a sump arranged at one end where it can be directed to the suction of the circulating pump. The circulating pump operates to maintain a steady stream flowing against the surface of the ductor immediately below the inking knife.

A further advantage of the ink conveyor is that the structural height of the reservoir can be maintained within permissible limits. This is so because the alternative would be to include a sloping wall which would mean that the ink reservoir would be too great in height.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide an improved inking mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of operating an inking mechanism which includes an ink reservoir with a ductor rotating with the lower edge in the liquid of the reservoir and with an inking knife arranged to form a gap with the ductor for the removal of excess ink from thesurface thereof, comprising directing a continuous stream of ink against the surface of the ductor directly below the inking knife in a direction counter to the rotational direction of the ductor so that it cleans the surface thereof and is directed back to the reservoir for recirculation to the surface of the ductor.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inking mechanism which comprises means defining an inking sump with a ductor roller rotatable above the sump arranged for transferring ink to an inking roller and with an inking knife arranged to remove excess inking from the surface of the ductor before it contacts the inking roller, and wherein ink is continuously sprayed in a stream over the surface of the ductor immediately below the inking knife for return to the sump and recirculation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inking mechanism which includes means for directing a stream of ink over a ductor roller for the purpose of supplying the ink to the surface and for maintaining the surface in a clean condition, and which further includes means for receiving ink which is directed downwardly off the surface of the ductor roller and for recirculating the same back to the surface thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved inking mechanism wherein an ink supply container is arranged to run with its upper portion maintained dry and having a sump at one end in which the ink is collected which is connected tov a pump for recirculation of the ink back to a ductor roller.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inking mechanism which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty Which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a transverse section taken on the line 1-1 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 2 i a section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied therein comprises an ink reservoir generally designated 1 having a bottom wall 20 having a recessed portion 10 adjacent one side which connects at one end to a depressed or lower portion defining an ink reservoir or sump 13.

A ductor or inking roller 8 is rotatably mounted in opposite walls of the reservoir 1 adjacent the top thereof in position for contacting an ink roller 22 shown in contact with a roller 24 which is in contact, in turn, with a roller 26 of a printing machine. A side wall 28 of the reservoir it carries at its upper end a block 30 which overlies an inking blade 5 which is arranged to define a slight gap with its outer end and the surface of the ductor 8. A threaded screw member 32 is provided for regulating. the downward pressure on the inking blade 5.

In accordance with the invention ink is recirculated from the sump 13 by means of a pump 2 through a filter 3 and a conduit 4 for discharge through fittings or nozzle 6 over the surface to the ductor 8 directly below the inking knife 5.. An ink stream indicated 7 pours out over the surface of the ductor 8 and flows downward counter to the direction of rotation of the ductor 8 and drips off the lower portion thereof onto a sieve or filter screen 9 arranged in the recessed portion 10. In the recessed portion 10 a conveyor worm 11 is rotatably mounted for conducting solids along the recessed portion 10 and into the sump 13. The conveyor 11 is rotated by means of a worm 34 which is driven by a motor (not shown) to rotate a bevel gear 12 which is secured to the shaft of the screw conveyor 11. In order to permit the cleaning of the screen or sieve 9, the wall 28 is provided with a panel 14 which is hinged at 36 so that it may be opened .for access to the sieve. In some instances the nipples or nozzles 6 may be replaced by their equivalents, for

4 example the conduit 4 may be perforated to provide for the outward spraying of the ink over the surface of the ductor 8. A further po sibility is to provide the ink supply conduit 4 with a longitudinally extending slot as an ink outlet aperture.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

An inking apparatus comprising anink reservoir container, a duct-0r rotatably mounted above said container, an inking knife arranged in the vicinity of the surface of said ductor and defining a small gap therewith for preventing the passage of excess ink therethrough, means for directing a stream over the surface of said ductor immediately below said inking knife for simultaneously applying ink thereto and for cleaning the surface thereof, said container having a depression forming a sump at one end, an elongated recessed portion having an elongated substantially horizontal arranged bottom extending along the length of said container and arranged above said sump and below said ductor in a position to receive ink therefrom, a screw conveyor lying along and contacting said bottom rotatably mounted in said recessed portion and means for rotating said screw conveyor for directing solid material along said recessed portion and into the depression, said means for directing ink in a stream over said ductor including means for taking suction in the sump portion for recirculating the ink over the ductor surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,018,193 10/35 Smith 101-366 2,278,138 3/42 Paardecamp 101-366 X 2,869,460 1/59 Vorthington 101-366 3,062,137 11/62 \Valdorf 101366 X FOREIGN PATENTS 137,22'7 5/50 Australia.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Examiner. 

